Hello fronds — so, my increasingly-constant headache-thing was becoming a problem, and then we discovered that my normally low blood pressure is suddenly quite high… like, borderline hypertensive-crisis head-straight-to-the-ER high. So that’s being managed aggressively (it’s better, but it’s not…great) and between the constant headaches and the doctors’ appointments and blood draws and the new drugs and lying in bed feeling f’ing sorry for myself (have I mentioned the constant headaches?) I just …. can’t string two interesting sentences together right now. I may have done this to myself by regularly taking well-within-guidelines doses of imitrex and advil, in which case it should subside. Or, it’s something else. Also I’d like to remove the center of my face, thankyouverymuch. It’s not migraine. It’s not tension headache or sinus. Facial gremlins, I tell you.
I can’t even look at my computer screen for long, so no Netflix bingeing.
Anyhoodle, fear not. I have all sorts of support and suggestions and exciting medical specialist referrals to follow up on. Fingers crossed I’ll be back to what I laughingly refer to as normal in short order.
So, if I find out I have high blood pressure that will need to be treated long-term, and you have any words of wisdom you want to share, feel free to comment. I know nothing about it, although I’m learning fast. Cheers.
Ugh — be well!
I second what the first commenter said, it can take time to find the right medication. Don’t settle for the most standard treatment if you suffer bad side effects. I take pills two times daily for my high BP, had to try 5-6 different meds to find a good combination.
From my own experience lowering salt intake to near nothing helps lower at least the systolic pressure. And be aware that some nasal sprays against allergies may increase blood pressure in some individuals.
Also, please be extremely careful with herbal teas and supplements containing liquorice. Some of us cannot eat even small amounts of natural liquorice without consequences to the blood pressure.
I’m sorry you feel awful, everyone has already given some good advice. Hope the headaches subside soon xxoo
Thoughts are with you during this. xo
I’m a migraine sufferer, so I deeply sympathize with the constant headache thing. I have headaches and rebound headaches all summer long cause of thunderstorms. Sucks the joy right out of summer. Hope you are feeling way better than “normal” soon. Hugs, Dina
Oh my. I just started taking medication for my middlin’ high, asymptomatic BP last week. So sorry you are not feeling quite the thing, glad you have support and medical care. XO
So sorry you’re feeling poorly. Constant headaches surely must suck as you aren’t able to do many *fun* things while waiting to feel better. Hope a solution is quick in coming for you!
I hope this all works out for you soon. Have they checked out your thyroid? It can go wonky and cause high blood pressure in some people, especially during pre-menopause and menopause – though I do not know if you are anywhere near there. 🙂
OH MAN. As if I needed *another* reason to complain about my doctor ignoring my thyroid-disorder symptoms and family history for the past 6 years… I have had the “please PLEASE refer me to the endocrinologist” conversation with him so many times. I’m perimenopausal and my BP is up, and I have the same thyroid symptoms my mom and all three of my dad’s sisters had before a full endocrine panel revealed deficiencies to be treated. But my TSH levels are normal, so he thinks I’m fine.
I’m in the process of finding a new doctor. GAH.
Definitely new doc. I am hypo. Took TSH going through the roof before treatment agreed. Get them to look at things like B12 deficiency as well. I have high BP. Clearly don’t know if the years of borderline thyroid and vitamin deficiency led to high BP, but correlations are starting to come out.
Ack! Sounds like a miserable summer (and summer can be miserable enough!) I’ve been hypertensive since I was in my 40’s. I was lucky enough to have found an inexpensive medication that controls it well, with minimal side effects. It often takes some experimentation to find what works for you, so some patience is required. However, once you find the right med, honestly you hardly ever think about it.
Wishing you the same luck I had!
So sorry to hear this! I hope you find a good treatment that allows you to feel comfortable again.
Good wishes on getting this sorted. There is something called a Rebound headache which appears to be related to taking certain types of meds for too long. Maybe google it. As to hypertension, echo Janet in California that it may take a bit of time and pushing your doctors to find the right BP med. Also might be worth asking about the type of hypertension, ie, is your systolic (upper number) really high (ie, beats or pressure when your heart muscle is contracting) or your diastolic (lower number; measure of pressure in your vessels between beats) or both. The former can be much more reactive to your level of anxiety — ie, you can move within a short period from 140/95 to 160/98.
SHIT! Get well soon beautiful.
Portia xxx
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well! Constant headaches are a living nightmare! I’m glad you’re getting all the heavy-duty check ups, nuisance that they can be. Take your meds, be a good girl, and take care of yourself.
I am sorry to hear you are feeling awful! If you need long term treatment for your high BP remember that it may take several trials before you find one that works for you. I think I tried 3 before I found one that worked; one made me cough, another did nothing for my BP, and one made me feel suicidal within days (that was horrible!).
The good news is it is treatable!
Take care of yourself. Don’t worry about us, we will still be here when you are feeling better.